‘Back to our roots’: Female GOP lawmakers work to reclaim feminism on the left

INTERMEDIATE: Female Republicans in Congress are fighting to change the decades-old narrative of painting Democrats as the party of women, hoping it will translate into big gains in the next election.

“We have to go back to our roots of being a women’s group,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, RN.Y., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know why we ever let the Democrats hijack this story and say we’re a women’s group. That’s bull.”

Some GOP lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital about the issue noted that the cost of living, a key issue for Republicans in the last election, was as much a women’s issue as anyone else’s.

Republicans have also passed several bills since winning that election that put women at the forefront of policy changes affecting transgender youth and border security.

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“You shouldn’t let the Democratic Party tell you they’re the party of women when they can’t even define what a woman is. So we’re going to continue to be strong supporters of women and young girls, whether that’s in professional spaces, in the bathroom or in sports,” said Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, referring to a recently passed bill that keeps transgender male athletes out of girls’ sports teams and locker rooms.

Hinson said she’s “a working mom fighting for other working moms.”

“A lot of times women are the ones who make the most important decisions at home, for example. So, when I think about economic indicators, how do we get more women into the workforce? How can we empower more women and families? How can we do this? support more women in sports?” Hinson asked.

Historically, Malliotakis pointed out that it was Republicans who led the passage of the 19th Amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote. He also pointed out that under President Donald Trump, a museum focused on women’s history was approved.

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Rep. Nicole Malliotakis pointed out that the Smithsonian’s women’s museum was commissioned during President Donald Trump’s first term. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

“President Trump approved the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum in 2020. And Joe Biden did nothing about it for four years,” Malliotakis said. “I’ve been pushing for a land transfer to build a Smithsonian women’s museum, and I think it makes sense that we would be the group to do this, considering our history.”

As a voting bloc, women have favored Democrats and the left in recent history.

Democrats also blamed Republicans for the conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, a move that appeared to translate to electoral success in the 2022 midterms.

Progressives were also historically strong supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment, legislation that was pushed primarily during the second wave of the feminist movement.

However, Republican women such as Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., now argues that bills like hers, which would deport illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes against women and other Americans, are what’s needed to protect women.

New York State Rep. Julie Fedorchak claimed she was the top vote-getter in her state last year. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)

“MAGA is the new feminist,” Mace wrote in X this month.

Additionally, Rep. Julie Fedorchak, RN.D., one of the few Republican women in the freshman class of the 119th Congress, pointed out that her story is a testament to the GOP’s worth.

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“I was the biggest voter in my state besides anyone, as a woman, as the first congressman in our state. So I think more than anything else, people want people who are outstanding in their work, skilled and ready,” said Fedorchak.

“The cost of everything, making a living, helping women manage their multiple jobs, getting the government out of their lives, helping to strengthen the role of parents…these are women’s issues.”